


The Worst I Told You So

by NianaiBell



Series: #ourtwoweeksofpositivity [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ambiguous Fate, Crying, Does Include Major Injury, Gen, Hurt, Langst, Snark, Space Battles, Training, Violence, War, mentions of blood and injury, minor language, the aftermath is up to you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 03:23:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15765582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NianaiBell/pseuds/NianaiBell
Summary: Day 8. I'll Protect YouWar is far from fair. Not everything turns out alright.





	The Worst I Told You So

**Author's Note:**

> Bluberri_pomchi on IG has a wonderful idea started for the current chaos in the VLD fandom. And since I don't art as much I wanted to participate with this little bit. Look for the tags #ourtwoweeksofpositivity to see the wonderful stuff everyone is creating.
> 
> A sadder take on what could've happened in the war. I'm sorry y'all. I write a lot of fluff stuff so I wanted to try something different. Also the ending is up to you. Either way it's gonna be a quiet ride back in the lions.

There was a heavy grunt as Keith missed an opening in the training bot’s swing, striking when he should have ducked and was rewarded with a solid hit to his chest that sent him crashing into the polished white floors of the training deck.

A low whistle greeted him as he shook of the initial irritation and flare up of a voice in his head saying _not good enough_. Sparing a quick look at the now stationary bot, Keith turned to see who had stumbled into his training session. He found himself surprised to be graced by the presence of the pilot of the Blue Lion himself. He fought to keep his eyes from rolling.

“Wow, that looked like it hurt man.”

Keith grunted eloquently, already over whatever conversation Lance had sought him out for. “Sure did.”

The other boy didn’t respond, a hard look covering his face as he watched Keith, who had to admit the pressure of being studied like that was unnerving. He bristled as the silence stretched on, crossing his arms defensively. “Is there any real reason you decided to barge into this training session Lance or did you just come to stare?”

Lance shook his head dismissively, still in his weirdly quiet mood.

“I was coming to get some practice shots in but then I found you here getting your ass handed to you and couldn’t interrupt that.” He sniped, eyes trailing off to just over Keith’s shoulder. “Actually, you may want to watch out.”

Years of being on his own taught Keith to be ready to defend himself at a drop of a hat and his bayard was in his hand and arcing up over his head to deflect the incoming blow before Lance could finish talking. Apparently the training bot hadn’t gotten the memo to shut down and Keith was glad to have something (other than Lance’s smug face) to work out his anger on. The swing sent shock waves up his arms, his feet planted firmly enough to brace him and Keith swung the sword off him and yelled, “Pause training simulation!”

The robot instantly went slack and Keith sighed a bit at the reprieve. Straightening his stance and brushing a gloved hand through sweaty locks he turned back to Lance who was still observing him. Keith felt his face heat up with anger swiftly and completely involuntarily.

“So are you gonna stand there and watch or are you gonna take those practice shots you were talking about?” Keith taunted, pretending to adjust his gloves instead of watching Lance unearth his lashes.

Lance shrugged again and strode past Keith, heading to the otherside of the training room, simply bypassing the now dysfunct robot without a second look. He took his bayard out of the storage units there, wasting no time to summon his blaster and fixing Keith with a challenging tilt of his chin. “You look like you could use someone to cover your back.”

Unsuccessful in hiding his eye roll, Keith nodded his head. “You’re too generous. “

“Somebody’s gotta do it.” Lance smirked, bringing his blast to eye level. “Go ahead Mullet, I’ll protect you.”

It took even more willpower not to simply walk out of the room but Keith settled into a deep seated stance yelling up for the ship’s program to resume and to add another level.

Much later, after both boys had their asses thoroughly handed to them by a singular training bot, they sat hip to hip just letting their heart rates settle.

Lance had actually done pretty well and Keith was surprised about how far their teamwork had come along since their first couple of weeks as teammates. Not that he would be telling the other this but he found that once they had both depleted their energy that it wasn’t so bad just sitting and tossing harmless quips back and forth.

Finally they both fell quite, something clearly on Lance’s mind. Keith knew that the other was a mostly open book and Keith’s own lack of tact dealing with whatever it was probably wouldn’t help. But just as he thought Lance would walk away the other pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin atop the perch of his kneecaps.

“I’ve never really understood the whole lone wolf thing you’ve got going on man.” Lance told him truthfully. Keith opened his mouth to object but was quickly cut off by Lance’s words. “C’mon you know that’s true." He took a deep breath, eyes studying his shoes instead of his partner. "Anyways the point is, that just because I don’t understand doesn’t mean I’m gonna just let you do your own thing.” Keith watched as Lance hung his head, frown twisting at his lips uncertainty. “I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense but I guess what I’m trying to say is uh,” his hand snaked it’s way through his hair and a few tiny Spanish words spilled out under his breath before he fixed a pointed look at Keith.

“Just know, that whatever is happening out there, on the field, in this war. I’m always gonna do my best to cover you okay?”

Keith couldn’t think of anything to say to that, instead staring back at Lance’s expression to try and glean any extra clues there. Lance groaned and buried his head into his knees, “You know what? Nevermind, I just thought-”

“Okay.”

Lance stopped short, head whipping up to look at Keith. “Huh?”

“I said okay, I hear you. And thanks, I think.”

Lance nodded stiffly and looked back at his knees, a smile breaking onto his face. 

  
\--

  
Less than two months after that training session Keith experienced what exactly Lance had meant.

The paladins had responded to a distress signal, and barely after landing had happened upon a fleet of Galra ships. Most of the team had to sneak on board the cruiser to disable their equipment, steal information and see if they could find any prisoners.

As was Voltron’s luck they had a few hiccups, quickly coming under heavy fire from a surprise patrol. Keith had to tackle Pidge, unfortunately sitting vulnerable attached to the ships mainframe as she attempted to download any data possible. He had cushioned their joint fall with his arms, bracing against the cold floor and keeping Pidge tucked safely under his body. The girl had groaned on impact, eyeing the escape route and the encroaching enemy. "Quiznak."

Sounds of lasers flew overhead, his body tensing for the first blast to hit him square on his open back. Before anything could land, there was loud bang as a drone exploded over head, hunks of wire and metal raining down over him. Keith glanced back over his shoulder, catching sight of familiar blue armor and a worried face. “You okay man?” he yelled over the laser fire around them.

Keith smiled, body easing at the reminder of his support and he nodded, “Nice work Lance!”

Lance sighed, before switching back into battle mode, motioning over to more cover nearby. “See if you can get more cover, I’ve got you guys.” A shot, a direct hit.

Keith didn’t need to be told again, grabbing Pidge by the waist which elected a tiny yelp from her. He ran, knowing full and well that he had a clear path with his team behind him.

\---

  
A year later and Keith found that Lance’s words wouldn’t always have a happy ending.

He sat frozen, body supported by his bloodied up elbows, breath coming out in quick uneven staccato. He couldn't feel much of his body, heavy from exhaustion anyways and pretty sure he'd taken one to many punches. Blood leaked from an open cut on hip lip, spilling down into the wrong shade of red on his suit. All of that secondary information that his brain felt the need to catalog. Instead Keith watched the scene in front of him with wide disbelieving eyes. 

In front of him kneeled Lance, glowing purple lines like lightening bolts erupting from his shoulder where he'd taken a direct shot from Haggar's magic. It still glowed harshly in the dim light of the ship. His face was coated in a mixture of blood, dirt and sweat in a horrifying contrast to the serene look on his face as he watched Keith. He laughed sadly, slumping heavily forward and into Keith’s shoulder.

Underneath the pounding in his ears Keith could hear the panicked voices of their teammates calling to Lance, trying to get the man to respond.

" _Lance what happened?!_ " " _Does anyone have sight on him_?" " _Lance!_ "

Lance sighed into Keith’s neck, a shake even in that simple motion. "Don't cry man. It'll be okay." Keith didn’t realize he _was_ crying until he couldn’t see the battle before them, not bothering to swipe away at the building wetness at his eyes. He grabbed onto Lance’s body, fingers digging into the banged up armor. “Lance? No, hold on buddy. The castle is just on the other side of this wall. Lance c’mon, don’t do this.”

Lance looked up as much as he could manage, watching Keith’s face, eyes fond and resigned. “Told you I’d protect you Mullet.”

Like he was drowning, the noises and scenes around him moved in slow motion, blurred and muted. Keith knew he was shouting Lance’s name, shaking the male for a reaction, any reaction at all to keep him there. Lance just slumped, body heavy. He barely registered Shiro and his purple arm slicing through the guard that had downed Lance or the repeated mantra of Shiro yelling to him.

Keith bent his head down, pressing his cheek into Lance’s hair sobbing.

Lance had protected Keith, but Keith had made it his goal to protect Lance. And he had failed.

Sobs racked through his body as he held onto the blue paladin.


End file.
